Clemson Ranked No. 1 in Playoff, Will Play Alabama

Clemson, SC (WLTX) - Clemson is the number one overall team in the College Football Playoffs, and will take on Alabama in the first round of the tournament to determine the national champion.

The pairings were announced Sunday afternoon on a special live broadcast on ESPN.

The national semi-final matchup against the Crimson Tide will be on January 1 at 8:45 P.M. at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, The winner of the game goes on to play in the National Championship Game on Monday, January 8 at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

The news that Clemson would be the number one team wasn't a surprise: they went into the weekend ranked number one in the most recent rankings. The Tigers (12-1) then demolished Miami 38-3 in the ACC Championship game Saturday night.

The only drama was who they'd be matched up against. There was great debate over whether it would be Alabama or Ohio State.

This is the third straight year Clemson has been in the playoff.

The other national semi-final, the Rose Bowl, will feature Oklahoma vs. Georgia. That game will also take place on January 1.